Bookshelf

I love good book recommendations! If you do, too, here are some books that I’ve been reading. Have you read any good books lately?

New additions to the list are in bold.

Devotionals:

A Year With Jesus: Daily Readings and Meditations by Eugene Peterson: This book includes an extremely brief (sometimes just one verse) selection from one of the Gospels, a few lines of meditation and thoughts from Eugene Peterson (it’s amazing how thought-provoking he can be in just one paragraph) and a brief prayer based on the reading. It’s a lot packed in to just a little bit of reading each day!

Am I Messing Up My Kids? by Lysa TerKeurst: I loved the humor and encouragement in this book, along with some practical tips on how to be a better mom.

Diamonds in the Dustby Joni Eareckson Tada: A few years ago, I read through Joni’s devotional, Pearls of Great Price and loved it. I’m loving this one, as well. She has such a unique perspective on Scripture borne out of her own personal pain and faith journey.

The One-Year Worship the King Devotional by Chris Tiegreen: I love that this isn’t an “all-fluff” devotional. His focus overall is on praise and worship, but he does that by examining Scripture in some refreshing ways.

Walking With God in the Quiet Places by various authors: Several well-known female Christian authors participated in this devotional book–Stormie Omartian, Lysa TerKeurst, Jennifer Rothschild, Kay Arthur, Emily George. I love the variety of their style and perspective.

Breaking Free From Fear by Kay Arthur: Part of her 40-minute Bible Studies series, this book allows groups to do in-depth Bible study without homework. All assignments are done together. It’s a truly flexible format and easily adapts to any group’s strengths or interests. You can read my full review here.

Daniel, Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy by Beth Moore: What a powerful study! Beth Moore covers both the historical and end-times sections of Daniel. It’s academic, it’s weighty, and it’s challenging—but oh so worth it. You may have heard the flannel board stories about the fiery furnace, the lion’s den and the writing on the wall, but you’ve probably never thought about them in quite this way!

Faithful, Abundant, True by Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shirer and Beth Moore: This dynamic trio teamed up for another conference sponsored by Lifeway and this is the study guide that resulted. I’m not a big fan of Kay Arthur’s teaching style, but Priscilla Shirer knocked my socks off in this study! The accompanying video with her teaching is well worth watching.

James: Mercy Triumphs by Beth Moore: Another great in-depth study. I love the format of studying a book of the Bible one chapter at a time. This study does even more, giving you a look at James, the half-brother of Jesus, in the Gospels, Acts and more. For a practical Biblical writer, whose book is full of both wisdom and challenges to our Christian walk, it’s wonderful to have the reminder that “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Knowing God By Name by Mary Kassian: This is a beautiful study where you spend seven weeks just focused on the names of God as they display His character and His attributes. Right from the start, I feel I know Him better, love Him more, and marvel at who He is.

Living Beyond Yourselfby Beth Moore: This study on Galatians and, more particularly, the fruit of the spirit is a reminder to live a Spirit-filled life—the only way we can be truly fruitful.

Me, Myself and Lies by Jennifer Rothschild: This is the companion study guide to her book Self Talk, Soul Talk: What to Say When You Talk to Yourself. It’s essentially about “taking every thought captive” and making sure that our thoughts are matching up with the truth of Scripture.

Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break by Kelly Minter: What a beautiful and challenging study on finding your purpose and passion and overcoming obstacles to obey God’s plan for you. The study even includes fun recipes to try out at home or share with friends.

One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer: An in-depth look at the time the Israelites spent in the wilderness between Egypt and the Promised Land. I did the accompanying study and loved it because I learned a lot and was also challenged to apply it to my life.

The Patriarchs by Beth Moore: Walk with this great teacher through Genesis and the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

To Live is Christ by Beth Moore: I did this study while actually reading through Acts and Romans a little bit at a time. It was a great match and the chance to learn so much more about Paul’s life and ministry.

Prayer Books:

I love guided prayer and here are two of my favorites. I try my best to pray a daily prayer from each of these books for my husband and my kids at least 5 days a week. With the prompts from these books, I am able to cover my family in prayer.

100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know By Heartby Robert Morgan: Have you ever wanted to embark on a Scripture memory plan, but didn’t know where to start? This is the place. Morgan begins the book with reminders of the powerful benefits and importance of hiding God’s Word in our hearts. He then presents each of the 100 verses with an explanation, some context, and even some memory hints.

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson: This is a meaty study of the Psalms of Ascent, the series of songs sung by the Hebrews as they journeyed up to Jerusalem for the Holy Days in their year. It’s a reminder that we aren’t called to be tourists in our Christian life—just interested in the highlights. We are called to be pilgrims, journeying closer to God, whether that’s on our journey “up to Jerusalem” or in the daily disciplines of the faith in between the times of celebration.

Anything: The Prayer That Unlocked My God and My Soul by Jennie Allen: Two years ago, Jennie and her husband prayed and told God they would do anything He asked. This is the book about her journey in obedience and finding that real faith involves taking risks and reordering priorities. I loved this book. I liked it better than Radical and Crazy Love and every other book of its kind. It’s powerful and applicable to any and all of us. You can read my full review here.

Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God by Sheila Walsh: Sheila nailed the problem that many of us have in our walk with God—trust. Do we actually trust Him to take care of us, to lead us, to heal us? She walks through the lives of people in both the Old and New Testament and shows how they learned some powerful lessons of trust while sharing some from her own journey through clinical depression.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas: One of the most famous theologians of all time and author of classic works such as The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer served as a pastor and spiritual leader in Nazi Germany, standing against Hitler and participating in an assassination plot against the dictator. Shortly before the end of the war, Bonhoeffer was executed for his faith.

Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough by Kay Warren: I didn’t know what to expect with this book. I thought maybe it’d be the same old-same old thing—joy doesn’t depend on circumstances; happiness does. Blah, blah, blah. I expected Kay Warren to be perky and cheerful and annoyingly oblivious to pain and suffering. I was so terribly wrong. The book redefines my perspective on joy and Kay Warren tells you right from the beginning she’s a natural pessimist who struggles with joy. But God’s been teaching her about it and that’s what she’s sharing with us.

Cleaning House: A Mom’s Twelve-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement by Kay Willis Wyma: This mother of five discovered that her kids didn’t know how to clean, cook, shop for groceries, do yard work or fix things around the house. They expected her to do all that for them. She engaged in a 12-month “Experiment” as a result, adding in one new skill each month for her kids to master. You can read my full review here.

The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn’t Exist by Craig Groeschel: It’s a book that packs a powerful punch without feeling condemning because the author is honest about his own struggles in several areas of life. The bottom line is even those of us who confess belief in Christ still often have areas that aren’t submitted to His Lordship. It may be living with shame or not believing in the power of prayer. It’s different for us as individuals, but the bottom line is the same—we believe in God, but we don’t necessarily believe God.

Doing Life Differently: The Art of Living With Imagination by Luci Swindoll: Successful Women of Faith speaker shares her life adventures, beginning with her childhood and including her adult travels all over the world. She gives lessons in developing friendships, setting goals, and thinking outside the box. At the end of each section is room to journal with some thought-provoking writing prompts.

Do You Know Who I Am? And Other Questions Women Ask by Angela Thomas: Exploring issues of identity, Thomas searches out what God has to say about us by answering questions most women ask at some time: Do you know I am broken? Lonely? Undisciplined? Ordinary? Her writing is so personal and inviting, her teaching is both challenging and encouraging. A great read.

Empty Promises by Pete Wilson: We all feel empty at times. There are desires we have that nothing on this earth will fill, and yet we try anyway, seeking satisfaction in internal idols like power, money, physical beauty, and more. Pete Wilson reminds us that maturity in Christ is a lifelong process; we always need to be tossing down idols and look to Christ alone to fulfill us. Here’s a link to my full book review.

Enemies of the Heart: Breaking Free from Emotions that Control You by Andy Stanley: This book covers four of the major emotional strongholds that can hold back our Christian walk and prevent us from becoming more Christ-like—Anger, jealousy, greed, and guilt. You may read over that list and think, “Nah, I don’t have a problem with any of those things.” I challenge you to read this book first and then decide. For those of us who honestly think at least one of those emotions is lurking in our hearts, Stanley provides practical advice on how to overcome and move forward. You can read my complete review here.

Forgotten God by Francis Chan: I thought Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love, was good. But, Forgotten God I loved. I’ve read it through twice, each in one sitting, with a pen in hand to underline and make comments in the margins. It’s a great read for people in any denomination. Chan basically put aside all of his assumptions and seminary-trained understanding of the Holy Spirit and read the whole Bible through seeking out what it actually says.

Godforsaken: Bad Things Happenby Dinesh D’Souza: Evil exists in the world. People get hurt. People hurt each other. Atheists look at that and assume God doesn’t exist. D’Souza argues articulately and convincingly for God’s existence and care for people even in a world with pain and sin. I didn’t agree with all of his arguments, and yet some of his points were fresh and exciting. You can check out my full review here.

The Knowledge of the Holy: by A.W. Tozer: This is Tozer’s study on the attributes of God–His omniscience, omnipotence, infinite nature, etc. It’s something I read a chapter at a time and then stop to consider what is he saying, and what does that mean for my life?

Life Interrupted: Navigating the Unexpected by Priscilla Shirer: This is her companion book to her study on Jonah, which I did last fall. I loved the study and the book so far. We often write Jonah off as the “bad prophet” or “that guy who disobeyed,” but we can learn a lot from him. We learn how to handle it when God interrupts our plans and leads us in a new direction and we learn what happens when we disobey and when we obey.

Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst: Lysa does such a great job in this book of linking greater intimacy with God to our pursuit of personal holiness and the practice of self-discipline. This book is not just about food! Food is not my struggle, but I still loved this book. I think when we want to step towards God, we have to step away from other things. That’s the bottom line of this book.

Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud: Written primarily to folks in the business world, still this book has applicable suggestions for all of us when we linger in relationships and roles long after it’s time to move on. Sometimes you have to say goodbye to the old before you can fully live in the here and now of God’s best.

The Pleasures of God by John Piper: This isn’t a book about us. Shocking, I know. It’s not about our spiritual gifts, the way we live our lives, what our faith should look like, how God loves us, how to overcome our personal struggles. It’s about God, plain and simple and when you read it, you know Him better. You can read my full review here.

The Shelter of God’s Promises by Sheila Walsh: Scripture is full of God’s promises to us, but Sheila Walsh chooses several that have been a blessing to her and shares them with the reader. She writes with insight, knowledge and grace, sharing experiences with depression, the death of a parent, and more, all while reminding us what a safe cleft in the rock God has provided us through the promises in His Word.

The Scent of Water: Grace for Every Kind of Broken by Naomi Zacharias: This book was powerful and beautiful and sad and full of inexplicable hope. I really urge you to read it. Naomi Zacharias works with victims of human trafficking, prostitutes, war refugees and AIDS orphans. Somehow, though, she manages to keep the book from being overwhelmingly sad by moving quickly from people she’s met in her work to her own personal life to challenges from God’s word. And she ends with a powerful declaration of grace and hope. It’s definitely my favorite read this summer.

Stumbling Into Grace:Confessions of a Sometimes Spiritually Clumsy Woman by Lisa Harper: Lisa is one of the new additions to the Women of Faith speaker team and she is a riot! This book had me absolutely laughing aloud, but also identifying with the experiences of the author as she tries to understand grace and how it affects every aspect of life. She interweaves hilarious episodes from her own life with passages of Jesus’ life in the New Testament and then lessons we glean from that. I love the personal reflection or small group questions at the end of each chapter to help you think more deeply about each topic.

The Truth About Grace by John MacArthur: This book covers some tough issues about grace—when is it cheap, when have we not counted the cost of discipleship, how we know we are saved, and why works don’t earn us salvation but they are the fruit of our faith. Check out my complete review here.

Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day by Garry R. Morgan: It’s no easy task to navigate the tricky distinctions between world religions. To be honest, we don’t always really know what we believe ourselves. Garry Morgan’s book is a great, accessible and informative resource to help us all engage with the world around us. Here’s my full review.

Wait No More: One Family’s Amazing Adoption Journey by John and Kelly Rosati:The Rosatis share their story of adopting four kids from the foster care system in Hawaii. Their story is powerful and of special interest to any families considering foster care or adoption.

Princess Stories by Carolyn Larsen: If you have any young princesses at home, this is a collection of Bible accounts you’ll want to have. Carolyn presents the lives of women throughout the Bible and the virtue they represent. She includes discussion questions to guide conversations with your daughter about being one of God’s princesses. You can read my book review here!

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2 thoughts on “Bookshelf”

Heather, these are great books. The NBC library would love to have them when you finish them (unless you are one of those people that love to keep their books to read over and over. LOL)
God bless you and your work.
Lynn 🙂

Oh, Lynn, I am happy to pass along all of them that are physical books on my shelf, but the vast majority of these are downloaded onto my nook. You are so good at the library ministry, spotting potential books all the time. I’m thankful for you!!

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